I've acknowledged that I would have a big lump of coal, right smack in the middle of my future crown, that is already encrusted with a lot of rhinestones and sequins, from some of my choices. Feeling rather hopeless about the situation there was one detail that would make it all come together...if they baptized someone! An event that would make sense and the Lord's hand would be evident, and there would be an outcome of all things needing to be together in that time frame, even living in a tent, hauling water etc. etc. for someone to come into the Church.
I remembered we were in our Phase One Chapel and it was decided by either Terry or the full-time missionaries to have an Open House. The first one, I think. They had some huge display pictures brought down from Anchorage and set them up in the multipurpose room. No one was coming into the Church and Terry realized there was no sign outside. The Church is right next to the road so it was easy to see. A sign was made and posted out front near the road.
Eventually the nicest woman came in to see the display. It seems to me that she was drawn in by the sign. So Wilma got baptized and her daughter!
It dawned on me that maybe one of the tent Elders baptized her!! Elder P. told me he had stayed in touch with her but he didn't say he had baptized her. I wrote her a letter and asked who baptized her. Tuesday I got a letter from her.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello again Dear Nancy, Just after I got your last email my computer went down and I just got it up and going today. That is why I am so late getting back to you.
Yes, Nancy, I still have a strong testimony of the gospel, even more so
than when I first joined the church there in Homer. I have never wavered in all
the years since then. Elder Poulos baptized both Merrie Anne and me Sept 29,
1973. I have kept in touch with him over the years, first writing letters, then
phone calls and now email and face book. I will always love that boy and now he
and his wife are serving a mission. How wonderful that his testimony has stayed
strong and true to the gospel.
If you remember Don you will know how much he resisted the
Church but sixteen years after I was baptized he came around and became a strong
and faithful member. We were sealed in the Seattle temple in 1989. In 1994 we
served a mission in the Family History mission in Salt Lake City and after our
time there we moved to Liberty Missouri to be near our son and his wife. While
there we served another mission as managers of the Dry Pack Cannery in Kansas
City and after that we were called to serve in the Saint Louis temple as
ordinance workers. All these experiences were wonderful and we both grew in the
gospel. In 2006 Don passed away .
If your grandson gets transferred to the Las Vegas East stake we
will be so happy to meet him and to let him know that you and I were good
friends back in Homer many years ago.
Homer will always be so special to Merrie Anne and me. About four years
ago we went back and of course we had to go see the church building....my
goodness...it is a big beautiful ward building now! But I will always remember
it as the little first phase branch building and Terry as our Branch President.
Merrie Anne is still active and has been a wonderful primary teacher for
years. She has four grown children and is a grandmother of three...oh gosh!
that makes me a great grandmother!!!
Love you, Wilma
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Even me being so prideful would not prevent the way being provided for her to join the Church! I couldn't even connect the dots and see the alignment of the planets in her behalf after the fact. Even with her being baptized! It's taken 39 years for me to see the full picture! I missed the joy in the journey by whining my way through the entire 4 months of the tent dwellers!
Unlike a stage production, where dialogue and action can be changed, life is a one time final production. No dress rehearsal. IF I could do it over, I'd fully support Terry's decision to have them live in the tent. I'd take the challenge head-on and make it work. I'd realize this would make a great memory for them at some point down their life path and it could also be for me that way! I would embrace it. Find the humor and make it work in a pleasant way for myself as they were fine. I was the problem. I'd just work with how tough things were and realize that's just the way things were and make the best of it.
So now I'm full circle. soft of heart. teary and tender. so happy for Wilma and Merrie Anne. look at all they have done to build up the kingdom! so glad I focused on this segment of my mortal trek for the past 3 weeks or so.
uh-oh, the lump of coal has fallen off my tin foil crown and left a hole, like the one I sometimes seem to have in my head.
Sack cloth and ashes itch like crazy!
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